OBE for Professor Sheila McLean in New Year Honours

Professor Sheila McLean, FRSE, FRCPE, FRCGP, FRSA, Professor Emerita of Law and Ethics in Medicine at the University of Glasgow, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to health and education.

Professor McLean graduated LLB from the university in 1972, and became a law lecturer there in 1975, and a senior lecturer in 1985. In 1987 she completed her PhD, on information disclosure, consent to medical treatment and the law, and went on to establish the Institute of Law & Ethics in Medicine.

In 1990 she was appointed the first International Bar Association Professor of Law and Ethics in Medicine, and has since pursued a distinguished research career, publishing widely on issues including consent, reproductive and end of life matters. 

Professor McLean has also held a number of appointments, both nationally and internationally. These include UK Adviser to the European branch of the World Health Organisation on the revision of its Health for All policy, member of the UNESCO Biomedical Ethics Committee, and Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee. She holds the International Bar Association Chair of Law & Ethics in Medicine, and was formerly Director of the Institute of Law & Ethics in Medicine. From 1999 to 2002 she was the first chair of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Also recognised in the list is Elizabeth Wallace, formerly chief executive of AVENUE, the Aberdeen-based provider of mediation, counselling and child contact centres, who receives an MBE for services to counselling, family mediation and psychological support.